This was the sky this morning reflecting on the ice pond on a day that many use to reflect. We have had a pretty great year in our home with many many things to reflect upon and be thankful for.

I don’t make resolutions on this night. There are basically two things I try to remember and work towards with the beginning of a fresh new year. The first is to keep negativity out of my life be it with people, situations, and mindsets. I don’t like to let negativity in. The second is to be content. Being content with what you have, who you are, who your children are and where you are going in life leads to a certain calmness and peacefulness in your days.

So with the beginning of this New Year, I would like to say thank you to all my followers for being a part of our journey in life and wish you all much happiness, peace, and a content mind in 2015!!!!!

The investigation begins as all culprits are in bed when I enter the house from the nightly barn chores…..

First…what did the suspect sneak up from the pantry to eat?

After further investigation (the sniff test) it appears to be some sweet summer peaches which have been devoured!

There are 3 to be pondered….the man of the house, the tween, and the boy

The man of the house would likely never take the time to go into the basement pantry to fetch himself a snack. Even if he did, by some weird twist of fate, he would never finish off the jar….X he’s off the list

We are down to 2

Let’s see….the boy asked me after school if we were close to winter (today was unseasonably warm)…I say yes

Suspicion arises…was he asking as he knows we “can” special items for the winter??? Could it be the cute cuddly boy who snuck into the basement to grab himself a sweet summer treat??

But wait!!….if memory serves me correctly, when he wanted a new jar of grape jelly we made the other day, he had no idea how to open the top. Could he have observed me so closely from his perch on the couch that day opening the jar that he now knows how to do it?

keep him on the list

Next up the tween….she came home early from school with a sore throat and not feeling well. However, she ate many frozen orange juice ice cubes and some soup for dinner. She was milling about bossing her brother around and complaining she wanted me to bake as I have been neglecting them on their homemade desserts when I was pushing them to get ready for bed before I went to the barn.

The suspicion deepens…she knows how to open the jars, she helped me can them and was eating them hot from the syrup.

BUT…..she would NEVER even at the age of 12, go into the basement alone at night. This child has a certain fear of the dark and will not go upstairs to her room or into the basement which is an entertainment area with wet bar and bathroom in front and storage area in the back, by herself.

Mystery Solved….the tween coerced the boy into entering the basement with her in promise of a delectable summer sweetened treat before bed. The final piece of evidence was their favorite bowls in the sink with spoons in them, both empty and pleasantly giving off the aroma of ripe peaches!

This beautiful tree was incorporated into our goat area. It provides much needed shade in the summer. But this tree is much more than just a shade provider.

I have enjoyed this tree since I was 6 years old. It is a tree that boasts splendor by it’s size and beauty. Until 8 years ago it was surrounded by brush and fields and growing up we made trails to it to climb and play under.

Under the tree

After clearing the area for our goats, this tree was even more spectacular. It is a “show piece” on the property and the goats and chickens enjoy it’s shade and leaves while the kids enjoy the rope we have attached to it. They can strengthen their muscles climbing it or relax swinging from it.

This site is about my life as a farmgirl, wife, mother and grandmother and the things I love to do. I've been married to the same man that I love for 40+ years. We have two beautiful adult children and one granddaughter. We pretty much live off of our farm by raising our food or hunting for it. My blog is a day to day walk-through of our life.